


Halloweentown 3: Fright Knights

by JokeHunk



Category: Halloweentown (1998)
Genre: And Marnie's mortal family are sus, F/M, Halloweentown High Rewrite, M/M, Mostly the same as the movie, and Luke is here because he should have never left in the first place, but gayer, okay maybe everyone is sus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:53:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27316564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JokeHunk/pseuds/JokeHunk
Summary: Marnie Piper has saved Halloweentown. And the mortal world too, now that you mention it, twice! But who's counting? Now, the portal between worlds is open and peace has been restored. Or has it? Marnie's plan to host Halloweentown exchange students and prove once and for all that mortals have changed is off to a rocky start. She didn't take the Council's warning about the Knights of the Iron Dagger seriously at first. But threats of sabotage and violence are mounting, leading the Cromwells to believe the Knights might be more than fairytales after all. Marnie's mortal family is suddenly back in the picture as well, further complicating matters. With pressures mounting from the Council and the Cromwell magic on the line, can Marnie, Luke, and the rest of the Halloweentown crew find the culprits and stabilize this haphazard harmony before the portal is closed again forever?
Relationships: Ethan Dalloway/Dylan Piper, Luke/Marnie Piper
Comments: 9
Kudos: 15





	Halloweentown 3: Fright Knights

The shadows were longer than usual. The young fairy was sure of it. Even with her senses dulled due to the human suit she wore, her ears twitched at every leaf rustle and echoed footfall. Looking at the young girl, you would have never pegged her as anything other than human. She gathered her long blonde hair and pulled it away from her face, nonchalantly scanning either side of the path in front of her. She couldn’t sense any mortals nearby but the thick trees outlined by the dusky sky provided ample cover for spying. Or worse. Her footsteps quickened. She clutched the purple amulet around her neck as the darkness folded over the path. Before moving to the mortal world, she has consulted Aggie Cromwell herself who had assured the young woman that mortals didn’t possess any magic of their own and this talisman would protect against most forms of mortal danger. 

Her legs felt heavy like she was wading through molasses. Maybe she should sit on one of the deserted park benches for a moment to catch her breath. A twig snapped somewhere to her left, dispelling any notion of reprieve. The girl doubled her efforts, leaning into the oppressive darkness. Up ahead, in a circle of light, was a telephone booth. It wasn’t the safety of home she was looking for, but the flickering bulb was sure to keep the darkness at bay. She had seen the novelty of mortal telephones but never bothered to learn any phone numbers by heart. The door slammed shut behind her a bit louder than she intended. Not that anyone was around to notice or care. She hoped. 

Quickly grabbing the phonebook tucked on a shelf under the phone, she flipped to the P’s and started scanning through names. Pace. The darkness outside solidified. A mass of black formed at the edge of the circle of light. Pearson. The seething mass took the form of a tall man dressed in dark armor. He stepped into the circle, his body absorbing the light around him. Phillips. The lightbulb overhead the woman began blinking insistently; she had to squint at the names to read them. Piper. The man was outside the booth now, but the woman had slipped a quarter into the slot and was pressing numbers as fast as her shaky fingers would let her. She clung to the receiver, listening to the first ring. The second. She did not hear a third. The phonebooth stood empty, phone unhooked, and swinging from its cord. The darkness receded. There was an unearthly stillness, as though the trees were holding their breath. Waiting until the coast was clear.

~

"Mom, where are we keeping the refried grubs again?" Marnie Piper’s head was buried in a kitchen cupboard as she did a final inventory of their Halloweentown-friendly supplies. The kids would be arriving soon and she wanted this to feel like home to them. “Or as close to home as the mortal world could possibly be,” she muttered to herself, counting cans of pickled bat wings. Moving aside a two-liter bottle of frog spawn soda, she found the cans in question, the labels sporting a cartoon picture of a happy grub. She ducked her head out of the cupboard and made a note on the clipboard in her hand.

“You sure I shouldn’t be doing the counting?” Dylan was amused as he watched his sister’s brow furrowed in concentration. “I know that math isn’t your strong suit.”

Marnie stuck her head out of the cupboard to make a face at him before ducking back in. Her voice was slightly muffled, but Dylan could still make out, “You made me lose my place!” After another moment, she sighed heavily and stepped away from the counter, placing the clipboard roughly on the granite top. “I just don’t want to forget anything,” she said to no one in particular.

“Sure, it’s not like you can just open the portal and go get whatever you need.” Dylan shrugged. “Oh, wait. It IS like that.” Dylan smirked. He always loved to wind his sister up, but hopefully today the distraction would serve a greater purpose.

Instead of falling into the rhythm of their usual verbal sparring match, Marnie deflated. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right. ‘If the portal is open, we might as well use it.’ I said the same thing to the Council over the witch’s glass last week.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “I just don’t want them to think I’m unprepared. Or like I’m not taking this seriously.”

“Nobody thinks that, dear,” Aggie called from the kitchen table absent-mindedly. “Don’t worry. Everything will go just fine with the Council.”Aggie’s words were sincere, but her eyes were fixed on the witch’s glass in her hand. The slightest crease of worry was beginning to form between her eyebrows.

Sophie echoed her grandmother's reassurance as she stepped through the kitchen door and placed her school bag on the chair next to Aggie. "Yeah, Marnie. They already agreed to the exchange. This meeting is probably just to make the parents feel better.” The smile froze on Sophie’s face and she spun around to face the Cromwell matriarch. “Are you alright, grandma?”

“What? Oh, of course, dear. Of course.” Aggie swatted the air as though she could push away any negative thoughts that threatened to invade. “I just got some bad news, that’s all. Nothing to be concerned about.”

“It’s not about the exchange, is it?” The timbre of Marnie’s voice raised half an octave by the end of the question. But Aggie quickly shook her head.

Sophie continued staring at her grandmother, as though her eyes could see into the old woman’s mind. “It’s the disappearances, isn’t it?”

Aggie didn’t deny the question, and simply said, “Nevermind that now. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us. Marnie has her Council meeting-” after a panicked look from Marnie “-that will go off without a hitch, I’m sure.” Aggie stowed her witch’s glass in the bag that was curled at her feet. It made an appreciative noise when she patted its side fondly and stood. “I’d best be off, dears. I have seven very excited teenaged creatures waiting to start school in the mortal realm!” As Aggie swept from the room, the young Cromwells heard the sound of a portal opening.

Marnie gave the checklist on the clipboard another once over, trying to calm her nerves while she waited for the Council’s summons. She had been summoned by them three times already throughout the summer but the waiting never seemed to get any easier. Marnie nodded as she put a tick mark next to each item, but suddenly her pen faltered. “Oh no! We forgot the rooms! Where will everyone stay? Should I call Grandma back or-?” Marnie gave a questioning look to Sophie before a glint appeared in her brown eyes. "Well, like she said, she’s very busy today. Maybe I could help her out.” The young Cromwell heir spun back towards the cabinets she was organizing and pulled open the junk drawer. 

“What are you looking for?” Dylan questioned his sister, adding, “Your sanity?” when she didn’t respond after a moment. 

Marnie didn’t respond to his barb, intent on rummaging through the various paper clips, pencils, and rubber bands. She plucked out a folded scrap of paper. Marnie smoothed out the folds of the paper at the kitchen bar, across from Sophie. Clearing her throat, she focused her attention on a blank expanse of wall across the room. At the doubtful look in Sophie’s eyes, Marnie stood up straighter. “I'm almost Level Two, ya know. I think I can handle one teeny little construction spell."

Dylan chimed in with doubts of his own. “And what a coincidence you just happened to have that construction spell written down. Within arm’s length. Just in case.” Rolling his eyes, he moved to the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk, making sure it was the typical 1% cow’s milk and not bat milk or whatever they drank in Halloweentown. He grabbed a bowl from the drying rack by the sink and was pouring in corn flakes when he added, half-jokingly, “Who are you and what have you done with my disorganized sister?”

Marnie pointedly ignored him, took another deep breath, and pushed both of her hands, palms out, toward the blank wall. Nothing. The worry lines in Marnie’s forehead deepened as she glanced back at the paper. “I don’t understand. It says it’s a nonverbal spell cast with a strong will.”

“And you are pretty stubborn,” Dylan added unhelpfully. Marnie glared. “You are! It was a compliment, okay?” Dylan grabbed his cereal bowl and a spoon and moved to the kitchen table, putting a bit more distance between his stressed sister and himself. 

“Two witches are better than one?” Sophie offered Marnie her hand. The older girl grasped it gratefully and gave the crumpled paper to Sophie to read.

“Think you can manage that, Soph?”

Sophie shrugged. “Worth a try.”

Marnie moved about the kitchen island to stand next to her sister. The two witches took a moment to let their breathing fall into a rhythm. As Grandma Aggie and their mother always said, group casting required you to have a deep attunement to each other. Hands clasped between them, they each raised one hand and performed the same motion Marnie had tried a moment ago. This time, there was a flash of light and an ornate wooden door popped into existence. It looked weathered but still regal. Marnie realized it would fit in quite well with the aesthetic of some of the older Halloweentown homes. The door creaked open, revealing a long corridor adorned with wrought iron fixtures and accented by cobwebs. Wooden doors on either side sprung open invitingly. There was also a mysterious cold draft emanating from somewhere within.

“They’re going to love it!” Marnie grinned from ear to ear, pulling her sister into a hug. “I owe you one, Sophie. Thank you!”

Sophie smiled softly. “Sometimes you just need someone to help you focus.”

“Have you been talking to Mom?” Marnie joked. She glanced down the corridor again, taking inventory of all the new bedrooms. “Oh, there are eight rooms. But we only need seven.” She raised an eyebrow at her younger sister, who simply shrugged once more. Marnie shook her head, returning to the clipboard. Now that her list was complete, she felt much more at ease. And the success of the spell had made her forget about the imminent summons. That is, until Gwen walked in.

“Oh, Marnie. Sorry that the call with my office took so long. I would have thought you would be with the Council by now.”

“Thanks for reminding me.” Marnie groaned.

She didn’t have much time to worry, however. There was a loud pop and a portal materialized. The large double doors of the Council chambers opened with a creak and Marnie was sucked inside.

Marnie found herself in a room she was becoming quite familiar with. She stood below the crescent-shaped Council desk where the nine members sat, looking up at Council President Dalloway. 

“Hello, Marnie. I hope you’re well today.” His chipper voice did not do much to calm her nerves.

The politeness that Gwen had drilled into her kicked in automatically while Marnie gathered herself. “Of course, Council President. And you?” 

“Well, Marnie. I’m afraid there’s been a...complication.” His face stayed just as serenely unbothered as it had before. The slight twitch of his mouth the only indication of some sort of upset.

“Wait, you’re not stopping the program are you?” Marnie looked to the other faces on the Council, most of whom were looking away from her. “You can’t! We’ve worked so hard on this! I’ve already explained to you, your kids will be safe in the mortal world. Especially being guarded by Cromwell witches.” Marnie grasped the bar in front of her as the platform she was standing on started to rotate toward the next person speaking.

It was a dark-haired woman with cat-eye glasses and sharp fangs. “You can’t honestly expect us to believe you are prepared to fight the Knights?”

“The-who?” Marnie faltered, her fiery determination extinguished for the moment. The platform spun again.

“The Knights!” A large man with six pairs of arms running down his torso had all of them raised in exasperation. “Honestly, how can you keep our children safe if you don’t know who you’re keeping them safe FROM?”

“Now, Horace.” Mr. Dalloway countered. “We haven’t heard from the Knights in quite a while until recently. We can’t honestly expect Marnie to know everything.” The serene smile was back and his eyes sparkled as they looked at the young witch. “There are those of us on the council who are apprehensive about allowing this exchange to go forward. There have been a few whispers of Knight activity and it has us all on edge.”

“Wait, knights? Like King Arthur and the Round Table knights? Those are just stories!” Marnie looked incredulous. Was this the creatures’ of Halloweentown’s version of the boogeyman? A mortal that could slay them?

There was an uproar in the chamber. Multiple members were talking at once and Marnie was spun around to various sides of the room before the President shouted over the din, “Quiet!” A hush fell over the room. “Now, Marnie, I wish there was more that we could do. I know how much you want to prove that the mortal world is different than it used to be, but unless there was some way you could absolutely guarantee their safety from any mortal-”

“Council President Dalloway, I promise we can keep your children safe. I bet all the Cromwell magic that humans have changed and you won’t have anything to worry about.”

Another commotion erupted from the councilmembers. One whispered to another, “I can’t believe she said that!”

The man with many arms, Horace shouted, “She said it! She said it!” While pointing all his arms in Marnie’s direction.

The platform spun back to the center and she found herself facing Council President Dalloway once more. “Well, Marnie if you really feel that strongly about it, I suppose I have no choice. You have until midnight on Halloween.”

“Wait!” Marnie called as she was pulled back towards the door. “Midnight until what? What did I say?” But the Council chamber was already shrinking out of sight.

Marnie found herself back in her kitchen, facing once more towards the hallway she and Sophie had created.

“So, how’d it go?” Dylan looked genuinely curious.

“Umm,” Marnie didn’t know how to articulate the conversation with the council. She opted to look at her wristwatch instead, exclaiming, “Oh, we’re going to be late to school. I’ll tell you later,” And rushed to grab her book bag from her room upstairs.

~

“Grandma did say she was meeting us at school, right?” Marnie stood outside the drop off spot at the main entrance. “Oh no,” She looked at Dylan, eyes wide, “She’s not bringing the bus, is she?” Marnie knew that high school kids weren’t the most observant bunch, but even they would fail to miss a large orange school bus flying out of the sky and into the parking lot.

“Well, it’s either that or a portal in the middle of the quad. Personally, I’m voting portal. At least it’s easier to hide the evidence. And erase a few dozen memories.” Faced with a lot of clean up, Dylan started backing toward the front doors to the school. “Actually, I forgot I wanted to catch up with Mr. Roche about this assignment for Trig.”

“Dylan!” Marnie called after her brother’s retreating form. “You’re not fooling anyone. It’s the first day! I know there isn’t any homework!” but he pretended not to hear.

Marnie stood at the curb alone, looking left and right anxiously to try and spot Agatha Cromwell’s mode of travel. She had nearly decided she should be scanning the skies instead when a small orange beetle rolled up and parked right in front of her. Aggie jumped out of the driver’s seat and rushed to where Marnie stood to open the back door.

“Hello, dear. Safe and sound. And ten minutes to spare! Stand back, would you please?” She leaned forward into the open car, calling, “Alright everyone, here we are. One at a time, if you please.”  
Marnie was trying to memorize the names with the faces as her grandmother greeted the eager Halloweentown students who were piling out of the impossible orange beetle. She glanced down at the pile of school schedules in her hand, feeling every bit like a camp counselor. Marnie had checked and double-checked each of the schedules and made sure to include a map. Dylan had even offered to laminate them, but she had declined. Now she wondered if she should have after all. She knew that Council President Dalloway’s son was among the group, and it couldn't hurt to impress him. Marnie flashed a welcoming smile to her supernatural recruits. 

"There you are, Chester, dear, watch your step." Aggie was saying to a curly-haired boy who stood a good few inches over the rest of the students.

"So this is the mortal world." a dark-haired girl at the front of the pack mused. Looking to Marnie, she added, "And these are all humans?" Luckily, the students passing by were out of earshot. Marnie's charges seemed genuinely curious about her response as they filed out of the vehicle and onto the curb.

"Yes, Well-Cassie, right?- People here kind of just assume that everyone else is human." 

"Riiiight." There was a chorus of realization surrounding Marnie. A blonde girl toward the back seemed bored by this information. But Cassie flipped open a notebook and scribbled something Marnie didn't see.

She heard Grandma Aggie close the car door and knew the stream of students had finally ended. There were only seven students signed up for the exchange program, but being foreigners to her world, Marnie knew they would each need individual support and guidance. One boy, who couldn't have been more than sixteen but was sporting an unmistakable five 'o clock shadow, was already starting to stray from the bunch, interested in a football two seniors were tossing back and forth on the lawn. Marnie knew the bell would ring any minute. She immediately launched into the speech she had practiced in front of the bathroom mirror that morning.

"Welcome to high school! Well, mortal high school. Obviously, you have a high school in Halloweentown but..." Marnie cringed. She was off to a great start already. She did a headcount quickly but realized there was an extra student in the bunch.

His hair was cropped short and his nose was much smaller than when she had seen him last summer, but he was still unmistakable. The anxiety showed on his face as Luke tentatively raised his head to look at her, not quite meeting her gaze. When his blue eyes finally met hers, he let out the breath he had been holding and his shoulders noticeably relaxed. Luke's smile was gentle and subdued, but Marnie didn't hold back. Her cheeks hurt from the megawatt grin she flashed at him.

“Luke?” Raising an eyebrow in confusion and excitement, Marnie scanned the papers in her hand, searching for his name. She was elated but also anxious to keep the paperwork in order. Now more than ever, things had to be done by the book. The entire Cromwell line of magic was at stake if she didn't get this right. “I had no idea you were coming! Are you part of the exchange?”

At her uncertainty, Luke shoved his hands into the pockets of his oversized jacket and shrugged. “Aggie helped set it up. Surprise?" He spread his arms out, hands still in pockets. "It was probably a dumb idea.” Luke's eyes were downcast once more, unable to look at his witch, for fear of the rejection he would find there.

Marnie took a step forward toward the anxious goblin and placed a hand on his upper arm. “Luke,” her voice was soft, like the hug he had been longing for ever since she had left in July. “This is great! I thought Grandma might have been planning something -she always is- but I-” In one fluid motion, Marnie pulled the boy toward her and wrapped him in her arms. He leaned into the affection and quickly pulled his hands from his pockets to reciprocate. “Best. Idea. Ever.” she whispered into his ear before she pulled away, remembering her seven other Halloweentown charges, who were now tittering amongst themselves.

Luke cleared his throat, scarcely trusting himself to speak. “Good” he managed, the tips of his human ears turning pink.

Marnie stepped back to address the crowd once more. Aggie approached her and tapped the papers in her hand with one steady finger. “Yes Marnie, I think you’ll find everything is in order.” Glancing down at the stack, Marnie now saw Luke’s name and information included, as if it had been there all along. She couldn’t bring herself to be annoyed with her grandmother when it had led to such a wonderful surprise. Maybe after the giddiness wore off she would talk to her about when you should and shouldn't keep important secrets.

Marnie glanced back to her surprise and took him in for a moment more before snapping back into her tour guide persona.

“Great! Now, if you will all take a school schedule and follow me, I can show you around.” She led the small group towards the school entrance, looking back to make sure they didn’t wander off too far. This year would be interesting. No doubt about that.

**Author's Note:**

> I have been wanting to write this fic for years now! This fandom is small but powerful and I hope to add a little bit more magic to it. I'm planning to stick with the story for the long haul. I'm making it my NaNoWriMo project in an attempt to actually finish it. And Ireland is in lockdown rn so it's not like I have a lot going on lol Anyway, if you like the story please feel free to leave a comment and poke me until I write more. :P I have the main ideas mapped out but still have to write most of it, so things might change a little. If you have any ideas or requests let me know!


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